I was doing some trouble shooting for the hall lights in a 3 story appartment complex. On one floor there was a photo eye by a window.When the sun came up it shut the hall lights off It worked fine.
My question is doesn't this hall lighting circuit with the photo eye have to have an override switch??????????

According to 210.70, it does not. BUT, Life Safety Codes require egress lighting to be installed, and they can not be turned off by the sensor or a wall switch.

How do they rationalize this with the energy code?

Greg per the NEC you can not switch off any legally required emergency lighting unless it is rigged to come back on automatically regardless of the switch position during a power failure. Sorry I am not at my computer with the NEC in it for a section number.

Typically we accomplish this via normally closed contacters.

I think safety codes trump energy codes.

Bob

I usually think of that kind of lighting being the battery lights. I was curious if energy codes affect lighting in places where it is not necessary to be 24/7 because of ambient light.

I hear you Greg, we run in to this in a lot of new installations, many new buildings have ambient light sensors used to kill the electric lights when the natural light is enough.

We are switching more of the required lighting down but as I mentioned this usually involves adding some NC contactors that drop closed on utility power loss.

Bob

The Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) does not necessarily require lights to be on during the day. It only requires that there be a minimum level of lighting along the exit path whenever the building is occupied. If this lighting is supplied by daylight, then we have met the Life Safety Code.

The IBC also has something to say on this subject:

"1006.1 Illumination required. The means of egress, including the exit discharge, shall be illuminated at all times the building space served by the means of egress is occupied.
Exceptions:
1. Occupancies in Group U.
2. Aisle accessways in Group A.
3. Dwelling units and sleeping units in Groups R-1, R-2 and R-3.
4. Sleeping units of Group I occupancies.

1006.2 Illumination level. The means of egress illumination level shall not be less than 1 foot-candle (11 lux) at the floor level."

By the way, safety codes do not "trump" energy codes. We need to find a way to satisfy both codes if at all possible. If not possible because of conflicting rules, then the adopting authority needs to be consulted to make the call.

And that AHJ is going to decide that energy codes are on the bottom of the list in regards to importance.

We can only hope but when I see some of the other stuff going on (like California) I am not sure.
Actually I am ahead of that curve with lots of low level lights on occupancy sensors. The only bright lights we have are task lighting.

.9.3.1.1 Testing of required emergency lighting systems shall be permitted to be conducted as follows:

(1) Functional testing shall be conducted at 30-day intervals for not less than 30 seconds.

(2) Functional testing shall be conducted annually for not less than 1 hours if the emergency lighting system is battery powered.

(3) The emergency lighting equipment shall be fully operational for the duration of the tests required by 7.9.3.1.1(1) and 7.9.3.1.1(2).

(4) Written records of visual inspections and tests shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the authority having jurisdiction.

7.9.3.1.2 Testing of required emergency lighting systems shall be permitted to be conducted as follows:

(1) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall be provided.

(2) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall automatically perform not less than once every 30 days a test for not less than 30 seconds and a diagnostic routine.

(3) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall indicate failures by a status indicator.

(4) A visual inspection shall be performed at intervals not exceeding 30 days.

(5) Functional testing shall be conducted annually for not less than 1 hours.

(6) Self-testing/self-diagnostic battery-operated emergency lighting equipment shall be fully operational for the duration of the 1 hour test.

(7) Written records of visual inspections and tests shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the authority having jurisdiction.

How much of this is being done in your areas?

dlhoule

What code is that?

Bob

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code 2006 edition.

I might add; they have eased up some. It used to be 90 minutes on annual test.

Stupid me....I should have included that info with post.

Yeah, there I go again. It is 90 minutes on annual tests. I must have copied an older code.

mea culpa.

I wonder how many areas have adopted 101?

I've not been any place that didn't follow 101. All the lighting systems I have installed, other than dwellings, have had strict specs with regards to emergency egress lighting and exit sign lighting. Such as, egress lighting can not be controlled by switches or sensors, and must have back up batteries and/or be connected to a standby generator, with I think, a 20 second switchover time (I don't have 101 in front of me right now). Exit lights must never lose power, and therefore must be connected to a battery back up. All lights required to be on battery backup, must have at least a 90 minute run time.


Edited for spelling



[This message has been edited by XtheEdgeX (edited 02-15-2006).]

XtheEdgeX: My question is not about the installations. It is about the testing requirements. How many AHJ's have looked at report generated from these tests? How many places do the actual testing?

Agreed, we REALLY need to get a clarification about this conflict soon. I don't care if IBC, NFPA or another agency takes the reigns, but we need to get rid of this ambiguity.
In Chicago, where they're usually absolutely anal about emergency lighting levels, they interpret IBC1006.1 (The means of egress, including the exit discharge, shall be illuminated at all times the building space served by the means of egress is occupied) like this...
During the day, the exterior discharge is illuminated by the sun; during periods of darkness, the exterior discharge is illuminated by the lights. The lights can be switched off when there's enough natural light, but it has to be by a failsafe photocell in/at the fixture.
I can design whatever they decide they want, but I'm getting tired of ending up in the trick bag when different jurisdictions have different requirements.

What requirements?

Very few places adopt NFPA 101, unless it's adopted it has no more influence than I do.

Florida has adopted some of NFPA 101 but not the part referring to egress illumination.
I suppose YMMV.

dlhoule,
Sorry if I misread what you were getting at. I thought we were talking about the requirements, not the testing of.

quote:
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My question is not about the installations. It is about the testing requirements.
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What requirements?

Very few places adopt NFPA 101, unless it's adopted it has no more influence than I do.

With all your wit and knowledge, you should have a lot of influence. IMO